Actor Tips: Learn to Love the Journey
Let’s face it. As actors, we’re always on the go. Especially when we’re auditioning. It’s hard to "stop and smell the roses" when we’re piled with lines of dialogue to audition with (often times assigned to us the night before) and no guarantee of ever booking it.
There's so much out of our control. Too much inconsistency. We’re constantly spinning in this Ferris Wheel of dreams, fueled with drive, full passenger cars... and no prospects of ever getting off.
Imagine this: you’re seven years out of college. Working. Auditioning … and not booking. It’s happened: you're trapped in a routine. A routine you’ve learned to live with; a way of life you mentally accepted, long before it even started.
Now here's the thing: routines are great, but only when we reap their benefits... right? Maybe it’s that sense of accomplishment you feel after making your bed every morning or that boost of energy you feel at the end of your weekly Zumba class every Tuesday. There's an inherent sense of purpose and reward when we do things that make us feel complete:
I make my bed, I feel accomplished,
I exercise, I feel energized,
I do my homework, I get a golden star,
I hop off a Ferris Wheel... and enjoy the next ride.
When we benefit from something, we feel rewarded and that feels great.
On the upside, routines that provide little to no reward can quickly feel mundane and quite frankly: exhausting. It's like chasing a waterfall. Or doing your homework (when you know full well that your teacher ran out of those golden stars you love so much). In that case, we might begin to ask ourselves... if I'm not commemorated for my efforts, why should I continue to try... right?
Lots of auditions, little gain.
As actors, we’re constantly auditioning (and constantly being told “no”). Our rewarding moments come in waves: a booking here and there, a breakthrough in acting class, a fun rehearsal with castmates. But what about every other moment in between?
Moments when we're not booking.
Moments of rejection.
Moments when we're suddenly granted all the free time in the world and have absolutely no idea what to do with it.
These moments can feel mundane and directionless, and we can easily lose track of why we even started this journey in the first place. So, what gives? How do we create our own sense of reward in an industry that barely rewards us at all?
Something needs to change, and it starts with YOU.
1. Remember why you started
There’s a time in every actor’s life that is fundamental to their artistic upbringing: a moment that defined their passion and sparked a vital sense of belonging. For me, it was performing in Bye Bye Birdie as a high school freshman. Sure, I had no musical ability and could barely tell the difference between a melody and a harmony, but there I was, happier than ever swaying alongside a cast of thirty-plus students (who likely felt the same). I remember it clearly: it was Opening Night, and the nerves kicked in. I stepped on-stage, blending in with my trusty ensemble to sing (or likely lip synch) “Telephone Hour.” From then on, everything changed (and I never looked back).
2. Find joy in the process
When I first started auditioning, I remember putting an excessive amount of weight on the audition itself. Even after casting directors said “thank you” and I was forty minutes into my train ride home, I couldn’t help but to analyze how that single moment went (or how I believed it could have gone better). I began to shed this mindset as I grew more comfortable with the experiences surrounding the audition itself.
For me, it was taking the train into New York City, learning how to navigate the subway system, not getting lost… you know, basic survival skills. When I put emphasis on the simple act of surviving and navigating a city, it took the pressure out of auditioning. Suddenly the day was no longer about one interview and my deepest desire to book the job. It was about enduring a new challenge. In that process, I welcomed curiosity with open arms and gave into the subtle act of exploration. I became interested in walking around, exploring and getting lost, finding the coolest coffee shops (and spending way too much money on a hot chocolate or overpriced salad).
Audition days became an adventure.
An excuse to take off and try new things.
An opportunity to grow: artistically and independently.
A day of travel, that often times, had nothing to do with the audition itself.
3. Create your own work
As actors, we’re often times confined to the work that other people create for us. But why should it stop there?
Believe it or not, actors are one step ahead of the game. As creative individuals who understand the fundamental components of storytelling, actors have simultaneously gained the ability to advocate for themselves and create their own work. Fortunately, that can look a whole bunch of ways:
Write a script
Compose a song
Devise a novel
Analyze a film
Film a movie
Plan a photoshoot
Start a blog
Manage someone else's blog
Produce your own content
Produce someone else’s content
Create, create, CREATE.
Opportunities to do so are endless. Our creative spirit is not solely bound to the walls of an audition room or the pages of a script that someone else wrote for us. We’re actors, capable of so much more: capable of executing creative work and equally capable of developing it ourselves.
So. Next time you’re sitting on the couch, wondering when that next audition will come through and worrying about the things you don’t have control over, I encourage you to think about the things you do!
Reframe, re-set… and learn to love the journey.
